Method of producing photographs in relief



MM ATTORNEY. I.

Patented J an H. G. FAIRGHILD. METHOD OF PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHS IN RELIEB (No Model.)

' the same photograph mouht-ed, showing a furrowed outline of the image'or portrait por- T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY G. FAIROI-IILD, OF SANDY HOOK, OONNECTIOUT.

METHOD OF PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHS IN RELIEF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,047, dated January 26, 1897. Application filed October 22, 1896. $erial No. 609,639. (No specimens.)

Be it known that I, HARRY O.FAIRCH1LD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandy Hook, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Photographs in Relief; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description of my invention, which will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to use the same.

My invention relates to a method whereby photographic images are produced in relief, so as to have a lifelike and natural appearance.

The objects of my invention are, first, to produce photographs in relief without the use of metal or wood dies or molds; second, to produce photographs in relief cheaply and speedily. I attain these objects by the method substantially as herein set forth, reference also being had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters are used to designate similar parts throughout.

Figure 1 is a front view of an ordinary phoiograph mounted. Fig. 2 isa rear view of.

tion thereof to be put in relief and also a furrow in the interior of said image or portrait portion desired to be put in relief. Fig. 3 is a front view of a duplicate mounted photograph, showing the same image or portrait portion thereof out out, leaving what is herein termed, for purposes of description, an open mask, the edges of this open mask being beveled where the outline of the figure to be put in relief is not desired sharply brought in relief and clean or sharplycut out where the outline of the figure is desired to be sharply brought out. Fig. at is a per spective view of the frame for holding both the furrowed photograph and the duplicate photograph having the open mask, said frame being open. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the frame having said furrowed photograph and said open mask inclosed. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of the frame having said furrowed photograph and said open mask inclosed, the portrait or image portion thereof being put in relief by an embossing-t-ool. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the furrowed photograph, showing the manner of cuttingthe furrow. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the furrowed photograph, showing the portion in relief, the filling to retain the same in relief, and the final backing of the photograph.

In operation my method is as follows: The image of a mounted photograph A is desired to be put in relief. The photographic print should be mounted upon cardboard or any suitable metal or material which will allow of the cutting of the furrow hereinafter described, the print being attached to the mount by some strong adhesive.

A furrowed outline C of the portion of the photograph to be put in relief is cut with a suitable sharp'instrument upon the back of the photograph'A. The furrow a a extends substantially, but not entirely, through the material upon which the photograph is mounted to the photographic print, Fig. 7, the op erator being enabled to watch from the front side of the photograph the course of the furrow as it is cut by the bulging h, Fig. 7, of the material upon which the photographis mounted. An interior furrow or furrows a may be similarly and are preferably out within the figure or portrait portion to be put in relief, the object being to allow interior portions of the image to be placed more prominently in relief than some other portions of the image. Thus in Fig. 2 the interior furrow d is out to allow the hair of the figure to be raised more prominently than other portions of the face. A duplicate mounted photograph B is then used, the image or portrait portion thereof b I) being cut out with a sharp instrument, making what has been herein termed an open mask, this open mask 1) b correspondin g to the furrowed-outline portion 0 of the photograph to be put in relief. In cutting the open mask the edges of the open mask should be beveled somewhat where it is not desired that the outline of the figure to be put in relief should be sharply brought out, as B, Fig. 3, the back and upper portion of the head; but the edges of the open mask should be out clean or sharp where a portion of the figure to be placed in relief is desired to be sharply brought out, as B, Fig. 3, the face.

Instead of using a duplicate photograph to make the open mask, a duplicate image of the portrait to be placed in relief maybe obtained by traein g, drawing, or otherwise and by means of it an open mask cut from any suitable material. The furrowed portion 0 of the photograph A to be put in relief is then dampened, preferably with water, on its rear side within and along the lines of the exterior furrow a a and also along the lines of the interior furrow or furrows a. A paste may then be applied to the dampened portion, which paste while it is wet acts as a lubricant for the embossing-tool hereinafter mentioned and when dry stiffens and thereby further retains the portion to be put in relief, preferablya paste containing a proportion of glue. The furrowed photograph A is then placed face upwork frame arranged to hold the photographs A and B securely in a position registering with each other. The dampened furrowed portion 0 of the photograph A is then pressed or molded upward through the open mask Z) 7) with a suitable tool a, forming a portion in relief a CL to such an extent as the face, figure, and costume to be placed in relief may require and in accordance with the artistic taste of the manipulator, this operation being facilitated by the dampened condition of the furrowed portion 0 of the photograph A, rendering the material upon which the photograph is mounted more flexible. The function of the furrow is to relieve the embossed or raised portion of the picture encompassed Within it from the strain or tension of the mount, or,in other words, overcomes the tendency of the mount to draw the raised portion of the photograph out of place or flatten it, and allows the raised or embossed portion to retain its form, or the frame D D may be inverted and the dampened furrowed portion 0 of the photograph A may be kept down-' I ward and pressed or molded downward at the option of the operator. The photograph A,with the portion 0 then in relief,is removed from the frame D D.

A suitable plastic filling f f, Fig. 7, preferably of melted paraffin, may be spread over the back of the relief or embossed portion of the photograph to retain it permanently in position, and this is of advantage where the photograph is large in size. The photograph A, with the desired figure or portrait portion thereof thus in relief, may then have a suitable backing g g affixed to it for purposes of finish.

Although my invention is primarily applicable to photographs, it may also be used upon crayons, lithographs, and, in fact, upon any image displayed upon and mounted upon a material which will allow of the cutting of the furrowed outline on the back thereof hereinbefore described, and which will be sufficiently flexible to allow of the molding or embossing through the open mask.

Having fully described my inventiomwhat I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

1. The method of producing embossed photographs which consists in cutting into the rear face of a plain photograph a furrow in the outline of the picture on the print, and then pressing the portions of the mount inclosed by said furrow outward with the print to form the embossing, substantially as herein described and set forth.

2. The method of producing photographs in relief which consists in cutting in the mounted photograph from. the rear side thereof a furrowed outline of the portion to be put in re lief, providing a separate open mask of said furrowed-outline portion, dampening the furrowed-outline portion of the photograph to be put in relief, inclosing in aframe the lastmentioned photograph and the open mask, the open mask being placed on top so that the open mask and the furrowed-outline portion of the photograph shall register with each other, and molding into relief the furrowed portion through the open mask, substantially as herein described and set forth.

3. The method of producing photographs in relief which consists in cutting in the mounted photograph from the rear side thereof a furrowed outline of the portion to be put in relief and furrows interior to said outline, providing an open mask of said outline portion, dampening the furrowed-outline portion and the furrows interior thereto of the photograph to be put in relief, inclosing in a frame the last-mentioned photograph face uppermost and the open mask, the open mask being placed on top so that the open mask and the furrowed-outline portion of the photograph shall register with each other, and molding into relief the furrowed portion through the open mask, substantially as herein described and set forth.

4. The method of producing photographs in relief which consists in cutting in the mounted photograph from the rear side thereof a furrowed outline of the portion to be put in relief, providing an open mask of said furrowedoutline portion in a duplicate mounted p110- tograpl1,da1npenin g the furrowed-outline portion of the photograph to be put in relief, inclosing the first-mentioned photograph face uppermost and the duplicate photograph having the open mask in a frame, the duplicate photograph being placed on top so that the open mask thereof and the furrowed portion of the other photograph shall register with each other molding into relief with an embossing-tool the furrowed portion through the open mask, filling the portion so molded into relief with a plastic material to retain it in position and backing the photograph, substantially as herein described and set forth.

5. As a new article of manufacture an em- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set bossed photograph comprising the print and my hand this 20th day of October, 1896. mount, the latter in its rear face having a furrow cut into it along the outlines of the HARRY O. FAIROHILD. 5 picture on the print and the portions of said mount encompassed by said furrow being lVitnesses: pressed outward with the print, substantially Y W. L.- SAWYER, as herein described and set forth. A. J. KEHLENBECK. 

